Music workshop and Psychoanalysis: working with groups inside a psychiatric institution

Abstract

This article presents an account of the experiences of two psychology interns during their participation in a musicality workshop within a psychiatric institution. Throughout the project, the authors aimed to complement the institution’s existing services by applying knowledge from Psychology and Psychoanalysis to design a music-based workshop specifically for patients in the hospital’s male ward. Based on contextual observation and conversations with hospitalized patients, the workshop was developed with the goal of fostering subjective expression, social interaction, and participant engagement within an environment often characterized by isolation and the chronicity of psychiatric symptoms. In this context, music emerged as a valuable tool for facilitating the reconnection of individuals who are frequently excluded from social bonds. The workshop was structured into four stages: an initial welcome and listening to songs suggested by the patients; listening to a song selected by the interns to encourage reflection; a group discussion on the emotions elicited by the song; and, finally, the composition of original lyrics by the participants. The experience demonstrated that the activities effectively stimulated creativity and socialization, offering a space in which participants could express themselves freely and meaningfully.